Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has been fined a €255 (approximately ₹27,163) and handed a 30-day suspension by the Portuguese Football Federation after leaving the national squad during the most recent international break in the UEFA Nations League.
The decision came as a disciplinary action on the 41-year-old over decision to walk out of the national team camp, with the federation imposing the suspension after initiating formal proceedings against the Portugal captain.
The financial penalty is relatively small compared with the Ronaldo’s reported earnings. However, with the suspension backdated to 30 September, the day he left the training camp, will be eligible to return on 14 November, when Portugal are scheduled to play.
It all started in September when Ronaldo reportedly clashed with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus after remaining on the bench during their 2-1 victory over Norway. claimed that Jesus had assured him beforehand that he would play for around 30 minutes.
Although Jesus instructed the Portugal captain to warm up during the match, the forward was never brought on. Ronaldo was reportedly frustrated by the decision, believing that the coach had not taken his concerns seriously. He later alleged that Jesus had broken a second promise to publicly explain the situation at a press conference.
Tensions escalated before he decided to leave Portugal’s training camp ahead of the match against Denmark. The captain issued a lengthy public apology to his teammates and supporters, acknowledging that his departure from the national team could not go unpunished.
Ronaldo also called for an appropriate sanction, arguing that his status as a role model made it even more important for his actions to be judged strictly. Despite his criticism of Jesus’ handling of the situation, the Portugal captain said he was prepared to accept the consequences of his decision.
